SAN FRANCISCO – Willie Randolph said yesterday that Carlos Beltran is unlikely to start any game against the Giants this week and might not play at all until Friday.

Beltran, out with an inflamed right hamstring, did not start last night for the eighth time in nine games. Randolph said Beltran would “be available for pinch hitting this series, but he probably won’t play, unless I need to use him.” Randolph said because the weather is cool in San Francisco, Beltran could get more time off, and Friday in Atlanta would be a time to “see where he is.”

Beltran could still go on the DL, and Randolph said the Mets would recall an outfielder in that case. While he has spoken about Victor Diaz as a candidate, yesterday he mentioned top prospect Lastings Milledge. The 21-year-old is hitting .400 with a .526 OBP.

“I still feel like Milledge should play Triple-A right now and just get his feet wet down there,” Randolph said. “I don’t really think it’s worth taking a chance of bringing him up this early.”

“Although we are very aggressive in promoting the guys in the minor leagues,” Minaya said, “I am more on the conservative side in taking a guy that’s not on the roster and putting him in the major leagues. Then you have to create a roster spot and then you have to possibly lose a player because we’re at 40.”

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Even though the Mets don’t play Thursday, Randolph said Victor Zambrano will not be skipped in the rotation. But Minaya indicated Zambrano (9.64 ERA) has to get going. Speaking in general about players on the team, he said, “At some point in time, you have to perform. There’s no doubt about that. It’s not a situation that a guy is slotted in and he doesn’t perform, we’re just going to sit tight, sit by.”

Said Minaya of the team sticking with Zambrano, “The [Scott] Kazmir stuff has nothing to do with it.”